Ostfriesland DE 2009

"there's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.."

by: Margareth Elizabeth Sangster

it seems so long ago since the last time i wrote, i'm back guys and this one is for all of you who are so patient to come visit my site and comment, thank you so much everyone... as they say... it's good to be home :)

hugs,
Maricar

4 years and counting

flowers from Michael, that's his being romantic and serious ;)

Last Wednesday 04.11.2009 was our 4th Year Wedding Anniversary. We celebrated it just simple in a restaurant in Braunschweig, Block House (Steakhaus). Ambiance is really beautiful and of course the steak was excellent. Now comes hubby's jokes and the surprise we didn't expect.

When we are finished eating and Michael is about to pay the bill, the waitress said thank you and see you again next time, and then hubby answered to the waitress.. "no, see you next year" the waitress asked, "why next year"? then hubby answered her again, "because today is our 4th year wedding anniversary, so we'll come here again next year"! ;) so... there he goes again my husband's 99% shit in the head works again! ;) he's like this teehee ;) the nice waitress laughed and then she said... "wait, don't go yet i have a surprise for both of you". So, we waited and then after a few minutes she goes back holding in a tray two big glasses of Champagne and with a small fireworks... enough scene to get everybody's attention inside the restaurant. I said whoa! what a surprised! We said thank you to her, and the woman sitting next to our table said, "Congratulations"! we said thank you.

this is our view while having our dinner, the Staatstheater in Braunschweig about or more than 100 years old

Prost! Lovely for our 4th year anniversary! Prost! i said. Then out side, as we walk in the street going back to the parking lot, he said.. "lovely... it's a wonderful evening isn't it"? he is saying this holding my hand... and i said.. "yes, it's a wonderful evening, life is wonderful..."

This is the man i married, i travelled with, laughed with, and cried with... oh, and yes! i married also his 99% shit in the head! ;)

Look! there's "Luchs"!

Sunday again, yesterday we went wandering again in Bad Harzburg. We visited this animal they call it here "Der Luchs" in English, the Lynx lynx. Their temporary home for a while is the small wild park in Harz and they are being prepared to be use to the wild life and then soon to let them be free in the wilderness. We only saw three Luchs that day, maybe there are more but hiding.

Der Luchs eats rabbits, squirrel, wild pig and more. It belong to the group of any four big sized wild cats and one of the they call here "raubtier" or predator. Sorry about the wires of the cage, but hope you'll enjoy the photos.

this is the first Luchs we saw, not sure of it's a female or male

hubby call him/her a good "schauspieler" ;) (actor)

" i won't look" pose ;)

finally, it looked at me ;)

the second one has dark brown spots and much older than the first one, and he didn't like to being photographed, he makes a huge sound like saying "don't take picture of me"! ;)

this is the youngest of the three Luchs, it's fur is more reddish

until now we are still tired from wandering, back, bones, muscles are aching from wandering, but it's worth it going up and down this 600 m high mountain, eating in the restaurant up in the hills of "Rabenklippen" it was really a good Sunday and a good and bit different way of celebrating Halloween :)

Happy Halloween to all and have a wonderful week everyone!

Abu Simbel

Note: i have similar entries of this post in my old blog in friendster also titled flip-flops and backpack and in our group Salitype Society.

Abu Simbel - lies 280 kilometers away from Aswan, from the North of Sudanese border it is only 40 kilometers away. It was early in the morning when we reached Abu Simbel. We already booked for the trip in our hotel in Aswan. We are about 20 persons who made the trip, and after picking- up the all the tourists from different hotels, we finally go and drive through the desert to Abu Simbel.

Pharaoh Ramses II ruled for a long time and built a lot of monuments and temples which are still exist. On the 60's in the last century, German archeologists and engineers move the whole temple to it's present site. So it will be not under the water level of this new artificial lakes, created by the big dam of river Nile. So, we and other millions of people can still see and enjoy the sight of this magnificent temple and statues of Pharaoh Ramses II. The temple was found by chance by the Swiss Johann Ludwig Burckhardt on May 22, 1813. And the Italian Giovanni Battista Belzoni found out the upper part of a door way and the main entrance on August 1, 1871.




TEMPLE OF HATHOR - still in Abu Simbel, the smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari Ramses II's beloved wife. In this temple the statues of Queen Nefertari is surprisingly equal to Ramses' statues, which is not usual because most of the statues and bas relief we saw in Egypt the wife of the Pharaohs' are small and at the back of the pharaoh holding his knees.

Our trip continues still in Aswan, after visiting Abu Simbel we went straight to Aswan Dam. I will never forget this experience, seeing these magnificent statues of Pharaoh Ramses II.

Vientiane

Vientiane - 28.11.2005 and so our journey continues from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. After having a nice and very good baguette sandwich we took a "tuk-tuk" to the bus station. We got our tickets and then the bus leaves at exactly 8 in the morning.


I had vomited two times during the bus trip :( i have problems whenever the road is zig-zag. The first 10 kilometers is still ok, until we went up the mountains then i started to become dizzy :( but not only me, i saw also most of us inside the bus are having the same problem like me. Michael had no problem, he enjoyed the view of the landscape and took photos when we stopped somewhere and it was amazing!

After a very long 8 hours of bus trip we finally arrived in Vientiane. Michael my husband look for a place where we can stay and he found a very nice and clean family run guest house. For 400 Baht a day, we have a nice place to stay and to rest and relax.


The Arc de Triemphe replica, officially " Patu Xai" but the local people of Vientiane call it "Anusawali" was named after a Lao who died in pre- revolutionary wars.

Next day we look around the town, and visit the temple "Pha That Luang" a very interesting temple. There's also a statue of the King before his name is "Setthathirat" but it's under construction when we went there so no photos.

At the end of the day we had a nice bbq dinner along the Mekong River. Next day our journey continues to Savahnaket and Pakse. And i am sooo thankful! because no more zig-zag road! ;)

Königslutter, Lutterspring

moin moin!

It's Sunday again yesterday, we are lucky this time with the weather. Although it's cold still it didn't rain and the sun shines so off we go. We went to Königslutter about 25 kilometers from WF, East side of Niedersachsen. Michael said there's a natural spring and the nature park is also good for a walk.

i love just looking at these stunning trees, so much joy it brings to a soul like me that loves simple things like nature...

this is what i love in Autumn the colors of the trees and leaves, it was a gift for us to have a one day at least nice weather...

and.. yes another mushroom ;) bonus i think *winks*

on our way back home, we passed by in the Wolfenbüttel's Park, just a normal day i guess but it's wonderful Sunday ;)

guys.. the flowers are for you, because you prayed for us to have a nice weather and it worked ;) thank you for the prayers everyone! :)

have a happy week everyone.

Luang Prabang

24.11.2005 - After our 2 days boat trip from Huay - Xai to Pakbeng Village we are finally in Laos. Michael got his visa before in Bangkok, i don't need visa because i am a Filipino. The boat trip in Mekong River was bit dangerous because of the rapids and currents. We had to stay in Pakbeng Village one night and continue the journey next day.

Laos - a very relax country the life is slow and quiet but romantic. Colonized by the French in the 1950's that's why people also speaks French aside from their local language. Baguette sandwhich is very good in Laos. They also have a very strong drinks called "Lao Lao" has about 70 to 80 percent of alcohol.

Luang Prabang - We arrived in Luang Prabang in the afternoon from Pakbeng Village. The boat trip was also exciting seeing and enjoying the view of the landscape, passed by some cave temple and saw the minorities people living in the mountain.There was a festival that day, we had been lucky to witnessed it. The temples of Luang Prabang which about 100 are under world heritage.
The photo below is the the famous and the most important temple in Luang Prabang, it's called Wat Xieng Thong. I had to wear my jacket because no sleeves blouse are not allowed inside the temple. ( er.. outside too? hehe i only forgot to take out my jacket in this picture ;)

We really enjoyed the festival, it was so colorful and far diferent from other festival i saw. Got a chance to have some photos together with the girls participated in the festival.

We had a nice two days stay in Luang Prabang, our journey continues next day to Vientianne. The bus trip to Vientianne was not so good at least for me, that will be in my next entry. The sun set in Mekong River photo was taken in our last night in Luang Prabang while having dinner.